A FOREIGN entrepreneur accused of allegedly swindling money out of Namibians for a housing scheme, has been given a taste of the same medicine, when it comes to losing out.
Antoine Mbok, also known as Tony Mbok, has lost a posh plot in Windhoek’s upmarket Auasblick suburb because he could not pay for it. Two years ago, Mbok launched the Northland City development project for north-central Namibia, which has not yet got off the ground.At its monthly Windhoek City Council meeting on Wednesday, the Council voted that Mbok had forfeited ownership of Erf 568 in Auasblick.The 1 307-square-metre plot will be offered for sale again at a future auction.The residential plot is situated in Sierre Street.It was sold to Mbok at an auction on September 30 2005 for the hefty sum of N$620 000.Mbok paid the first instalment of N$14 749,70 at the auction.He had to pay the rest in monthly instalments of the same size over five years.However, he made no further payments after the initial one.In addition, the penalty interest of N$51 866 slapped on the original selling price for non-payment is still outstanding.According to the agenda for last week’s council meeting, the Windhoek Municipality was extremely patient with Mbok and sent him a first reminder after five months – on March 15 2006.A second letter followed on May 17 2006, but Mbok did not reply or request a deferment.The municipality has on more than one occasion proved that it has no qualms when it comes to auctioning off the houses of poor residents who fail to pay their water and electricity bills for a few months.In Mbok’s case, however, he was allowed to hang on to the plot from September 2005 until July 6 2006, when the municipality cancelled the sale.Mbok at least paid N$1 141,98 in September 2006 to settle the arrears on his rates and taxes.’DREAM HOUSE’ Mbok sent a letter to the City on February 5 this year, asking whether he could buy back the plot, as he had already spent more than N$250 000 on it.He said he had built a boundary wall around it and spent another N$80 000 on architectural drawings and engineering fees.According to the municipality’s building experts, “the estimated value of the finished improvements on Erf 568 Auasblick is N$2,2 million” (total value as of today).Mbok further spent another N$45 000 on renting cranes and earthmoving equipment to stabilise the ground of the steeply sloping plot.In a written notification, the Municipality’s Chief Building Inspector said: “A plan for a boundary wall was approved.The wall was built, but the workmanship was very poor and it is built with bricks manufactured by the purchaser (Tony Mbok).It is suggested to obtain an engineer’s report about the safety of the wall and the quality of workmanship.”In his February letter, Mbok, who is married to a Namibian, wrote: “My wife and I hereby implore your office’s assistance in rectifying the current situation.We have been working our whole lives to be able to build our dream home as we have started to do so on Erf 568.Repossession of our erf will cause a lot of emotional, financial and psychological harm to my family as we had been working very hard to own a piece of the African Dream in Namibia.”‘TIME AND MONEY INVESTED’ His family stood to lose over N$300 000 already invested in their “home project”, Mbok wrote, “as well as what we banked on as a lifetime achievement and inheritance for our children (…) we implore the City of allow us the benefit of the doubt.We are ready to fulfil any and all financial obligations (…).On behalf of myself and my young family we ask that the City allow us our dream as we work hard for it every day.”He argued in the same letter that it was no fault of his that the municipality had wrongly opened a municipal account for another plot, No 568 KK instead of No 568 AB, which was the one he bought.He had tried several times to have this corrected at the municipal offices but to no avail, he said.Mbok further said that he never received notification from the City that his ownership of the Auasblick plot had been cancelled.The Councillors on Wednesday voted that Mbok’s request to re-purchase his former plot would not be supported “due to the defaulter’s poor credit history with the City and the fact that the sale of the property on instalments may again result in default”.”The applicant (Mbok) must pay all outstanding arrears to the municipality.Erf 568 Auasblick is to be placed back on the available erf list to be sold at the next auction.”Two years ago, Mbok launched the Northland City development project for north-central Namibia, which has not yet got off the ground.At its monthly Windhoek City Council meeting on Wednesday, the Council voted that Mbok had forfeited ownership of Erf 568 in Auasblick.The 1 307-square-metre plot will be offered for sale again at a future auction.The residential plot is situated in Sierre Street. It was sold to Mbok at an auction on September 30 2005 for the hefty sum of N$620 000.Mbok paid the first instalment of N$14 749,70 at the auction.He had to pay the rest in monthly instalments of the same size over five years.However, he made no further payments after the initial one.In addition, the penalty interest of N$51 866 slapped on the original selling price for non-payment is still outstanding.According to the agenda for last week’s council meeting, the Windhoek Municipality was extremely patient with Mbok and sent him a first reminder after five months – on March 15 2006.A second letter followed on May 17 2006, but Mbok did not reply or request a deferment.The municipality has on more than one occasion proved that it has no qualms when it comes to auctioning off the houses of poor residents who fail to pay their water and electricity bills for a few months.In Mbok’s case, however, he was allowed to hang on to the plot from September 2005 until July 6 2006, when the municipality cancelled the sale.Mbok at least paid N$1 141,98 in September 2006 to settle the arrears on his rates and taxes. ‘DREAM HOUSE’ Mbok sent a letter to the City on February 5 this year, asking whether he could buy back the plot, as he had already spent more than N$250 000 on it.He said he had built a boundary wall around it and spent another N$80 000 on architectural drawings and engineering fees.According to the municipality’s building experts, “the estimated value of the finished improvements on Erf 568 Auasblick is N$2,2 million” (total value as of today).Mbok further spent another N$45 000 on renting cranes and earthmoving equipment to stabilise the ground of the steeply sloping plot.In a written notification, the Municipality’s Chief Building Inspector said: “A plan for a boundary wall was approved.The wall was built, but the workmanship was very poor and it is built with bricks manufactured by the purchaser (Tony Mbok).It is suggested to obtain an engineer’s report about the safety of the wall and the quality of workmanship.”In his February letter, Mbok, who is married to a Namibian, wrote: “My wife and I hereby implore your office’s assistance in rectifying the current situation.We have been working our whole lives to be able to build our dream home as we have started to do so on Erf 568.Repossession of our erf will cause a lot of emotional, financial and psychological harm to my family as we had been working very hard to own a piece of the African Dream in Namibia.” ‘TIME AND MONEY INVESTED’ His family stood to lose over N$300 000 already invested in their “home project”, Mbok wrote, “as well as what we banked on as a lifetime achievement and inheritance for our children (…) we implore the City of allow us the benefit of the doubt.We are ready to fulfil any and all financial obligations (…).On behalf of myself and my young family we ask that the City allow us our dream as we work hard for it every day.”He argued in the same letter that it was no fault of his that the municipality had wrongly opened a municipal account for another plot, No 568 KK instead of No 568 AB, which was the one he bought.He had tried several times to have this corrected at the municipal offices but to no avail, he said.Mbok further said that he never received notification from the City that his ownership of the Auasblick plot had been cancelled.The Councillors on Wednesday voted that Mbok’s request to re-purchase his former plot would not be supported “due to the defaulter’s poor credit history with the City and the fact that the sale of the property on instalments may again result in default”.”The applicant (Mbok) must pay all outstanding arrears to the municipality.Erf 568 Auasblick is to be placed back on the available erf list to be sold at the next auction.”
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